A couple years ago I got an email from a friend announcing the launch of her book. This is a person I'd been in regular communication with and yet this was the first I had heard about a book. A book! That's a big deal kind of thing. So I sent her a one word response: BOOM!

She wrote back immediately: There is no boom.

And then she went on to explain the littany of tasks, trials, and tribulations that she had been through to get the book into existence- she had written parts of it herself and had collected works from others, serving as editor, creator, project manager, chief wrangler, etc.

There is no BOOM has become a mantra for me. It's a truth I feel moved to not only remind myself of but also to share with others on a fairly regular basis. The idea of lightening bolt style inspiration and change has tremendous appeal but even changes that appear to materialize spontaneously have likely had a steady runway of subtle preparations-- often so subtle that they fail to draw our attention.

Everything we do at Cyril's- recipes, workshops, winemaking (as Michael wrote about here)- evolves and unfolds more slowly than I would like. Everything. This reality combined with the acceptance of 'there is no BOOM' has led me to learn to identify and select projects/activities/relationships that please me persistently, even at tortoise speed and in faded, non-dazzly colors.

Cheese Club, Summer Sundae Music, Flight Club, our menu, and of course our wines are all examples of the fruits of of our long-standing labors that continue to stoke our internal fires. Next week we'll be sharing news of some exciting collaborations with a handful of our favorites in the world of food and conversation.